Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an irrigation timer, and more particularly to an irrigation controller which is adapted to program the irrigation time, date, number of days, irrigation duration, and etc., and provides such scheduled irrigation information in an user interface for its users.
Description of Related Arts
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,160,750 and D713,271 teach a conventional programmable irrigation controller, having an user interface, for connecting to switchable valves of irrigation devices to control water flow. In order to control the delivery of water to various irrigation districts or zones, watering days with different definitions and their respective start times are generally provided for the user's irrigation devices of the conventional programmable irrigation controller. In addition, the date starting to watering and the schedule of each watering date as well as the watering mode program are defined and provided, wherein the user is able to select the proper program for the specific district or zone so as to provide watering with respect to each switchable watering valve. Therefore, the user may program and schedule watering according to the watering condition of specific watering district or zone so as to enable the irrigation controller to execute watering according to the programmed watering schedule automatically.
Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 8,160,750, a programmable irrigation controller is disclosed, which includes a housing, a microcontroller, a valve driver, and an user interface. The user interface consists of a rotary dial, a plurality of functionality labels marking a plurality of selectable positions of the rotary dial respectively, a LCD, first and second multi-function adjustment button groups, first and second system variable indicators, a group of irrigation frequency adjustment buttons, a plurality of irrigation frequency indicators, a plurality of irrigation frequency labels, a group of irrigation start day adjustment buttons, a plurality of irrigation start day indicators, a plurality of irrigation start day labels, a manual start button, a manual duration adjust indicator, and a language adjust button. As to the controller of the U.S. Pat. No. D713271, it includes a rotary dial, a semi-circular display, switches, and buttons, wherein the rotary dial is provided around an outer diameter of the semi-circular display.
According to the above conventional user interface, it is required to rotate the rotary dial to change the information mode. In other words, in order to change of the information model, the rotary dial must be operated by rotation to switch the selection to program irrigation related information. Per each switching of programmed mode, the rotary dial must be operated by another rotation thereof and then to operate the respective button and switch correspondingly. Such conventional operation interface requires the user to use his or her both hands to operate when he or she needs to operate rapidly.
Furthermore, the semicircular display would be covered by the hands operating the rotary dial of the user that prevents the user from fully observing the selection of the information mode of the semicircular display during switching and changing of the irrigation-related information on the semicircular display. Therefore, the user has no choice and is required to firstly rotate the rotary dial with his or her hand and then withdraw his or her hand from the rotary dial completely to operate the buttons or switches to program the irrigation-related information mode. This is a major drawback in operation of the conventional user interface of the irrigation controller. In addition, the LCD 206 display revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,160,750 is rectangular while the LCD display in D713271 is semicircular. Thus, the programming and selection of the information must be operated by rotating the rotary dial clockwise or counterclockwise or by pointing the indicator upward or downward. The rotary dial or the indicator is operated in two directions. In other words, the operation of the rotary dial for programming and selection of the information mode must be operated by rotation in two directions and, after the rotation operation, the programming and selection operation has to be completed by the further operation of the buttons or switches.